Lebanon’s MEA eyes A321neo(XLR) flights to Africa

MEA – Middle East Airlines (ME, Beirut) plans to use its forthcoming A321-200NX(XLR)s on existing and new routes to Africa, too thin to sustain a widebody and too long-range to operate with other narrowbody types, Managing Director Mohamed Al Hout told aviation journalist Kurt Hofmann.

“We have many thin routes which are commercially not viable to operate with widebody aircraft, especially to Africa. We are talking about new destinations like Kinshasa N’Djili, Monrovia Roberts, Brazzaville, Freetown, Conakry Luanda, and Libreville. So we are looking for new markets as well as increasing frequencies on existing routes to Lagos, Abidjan, and Accra to daily services,” Al Hout said.

Al Hout added that the planned African expansion could also boost the role of Beirut as a hub. Currently, only some 5% of the airline’s passengers connect via Lebanon. However, MEA hopes that this share could rise with more daily feeder routes from underserved markets in Africa. Notwithstanding these changes, MEA intends to remain a predominantly point-to-point carrier.

The airline has no plans to return to transatlantic routes going forward and will focus on serving North America through code-share agreements, including with Skyteam partners and carriers outside of the alliance.

Al Hout said that the airline will take the first three A321-200NX(XLR)s in 2024 and the fourth unit in 2025. The Lebanese flag carrier ordered the aircraft in 2019. MEA’s narrowbody fleet also comprises nine A321-200Ns with a further two on order, as well as nine remaining A320-200s which are slated for gradual retirement, although without a specific timeline. Al Hout said the airline would look to sell five A320s – it owns all nine units of the type.

In terms of the airline’s widebody fleet, MEA currently operates five owned A330-200s and plans to sell one of them. Al Hout said the aircraft’s utilisation is half the pre-COVID rate. Because of the slump in the long-haul demand, MEA has deferred deliveries of its four firm-ordered A330-900s to at least 2026.

MEA did not respond to ch-aviation’s request for comment on the A320s and A330 it plans to sell.